Looks like Facebook's video efforts have been paying off lately. The social network has scored two more series premieres after Amazon's Catastrophe, and both are from HBO: Dwayne Johnson-starrer Ballers and political comedy The Brink. These series' pilot episodes are now available for viewing on The Rock's Facebook account and on The Brink'sofficial page for a limited time -- Ballers, in particular, will feature a video intro from Johnson. The shows are already up on HBO Now and HBO Go, but this sounds like a great way to sample them for free if you're in the US and still don't have access to either service. Facebook has been putting more and more energy into expanding its video offerings, seeing as the platform has been helping boost the company's active user count. Not to mention, it's been bringing in $$$ from video ads since 2014.

It looks like HBO has caught wind of those "most pirated show in the world" stats Game of Throneskeeps racking up, and it's making a change. Besides launching HBO Now streaming that anyone in the US with internet (and an Apple device) can sign up for, its distribution is changing up worldwide. This season, every new episode of Game of Thrones will be simulcast with the US premiere in 170 countries -- check after the break for a list, and the new season five trailer that debuted during yesterday's Apple event.

Netflix watchers, check this post and update your calendars accordingly -- the streaming service just announced premiere dates for a bunch of the new shows it will have this year. That list includes its first collaboration with Marvel, (Daredevil, April 10th), the Tina Fey-produced show it snagged from NBC, (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, March 6th), a drama from the producers of Damages, (Bloodline, March 20th), and a new show bringing Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin together again (Grace & Frankie, May 8th). For the kids, Netflix has The Adventures of Puss in Boots on January 16th, Ever After High: Spring Unsprung on February 6th and Mako Mermaids season two on February 13th. Of course, we can't forget House of Cardsseason three arrives February 27th, and Edward Norton produced documentary My Own Man is slated for March 6th. Whew. Slideshow-206508

TiVo DVRs have been powering binge-watching since they first hit the market, but now that means something different. Instead of diving into an archive of recordings or even disc-based boxed sets, we're usually queuing up a few seasons from a streaming internet service, and now TiVo can help with that. An update coming to Roamio, Premiere and Mini devices will evolve the old "Season Pass" recording into OnePass, which searches out episodes across the multiple video apps the boxes have access to. It doesn't matter if they're recorded, have yet to air, pop up on streaming (Amazon, Netflix, Comcast VOD, Hulu, Vudu -- you get the idea) or are just coming soon to streaming, they all show up in one easy-to-navigate screen. It's a simple extension of what TiVo's various boxes already do, but it's something you won't get from cable/satellite, and set-top boxes like Roku or Apple TV usually don't have access to traditional TV sources.

Adobe has offered mobile apps with a variety of tools for quite some time. With the arrival of the new suite that accompanied Ink and Slide earlier this year though, it became clear the creative software outfit wanted to equip those slates and smartphones to do useful work. At Adobe Max 2014, the company's annual conference, new updates are on tap that continue the mobile focus for Creative Cloud.

Despite arriving nearly a year after the TiVo Roamio launched, this update looks to be one worth waiting for. To address the age old problem of choosing what to watch, TiVo has two new features that make that much easier. The first is a new third column added to the My Shows view that makes it possible to browse recorded shows by category (movies, kids, sports, etc). You can easily choose which categories are shown -- who watches kids shows anyway? -- and in what order, or revert to your old ways completely (check the demo video embedded after the break to get a feel for how it works). The other new feature is in the same vein, bringing on-demand and web app options to the traditional guide and giving us flashbacks of Windows Media Center's similar option. TiVo Premiere owners will also be very happy with their version of the update since it adds the aforementioned new features but doesn't stop there. As Zatz Not Funny points out, users are reporting much needed speed improvements with an "updated, modern design" that brings it closer to the Roamio experience.

TiVo has been rolling out a firmware update that has given some DVR users a lot more than they were bargaining for. Officially, the refresh supplies Mini, Premiere and Roamio units with a very helpful page for default recording options as well as a host of bug fixes. However, that's when it's working -- quite a few subscribers have been dealing with glitches instead. Some Mini users have received an error that prevents installing the update without unplugging the set-top box for up to three days. Meanwhile, others have seen some of their gear roll back to older code, which can wipe out customizations and break multi-device setups. There are reports of spontaneous reboots and other hiccups, too.

Microsoft, Apple, Sprint and Verizon have already shelled out millions to help the president bring high-speed broadband to schools and amp up the role technology plays in education. Now Adobe's on the bandwagon too, and it's bringing along gobs of software and educational resources for kids and teachers. Students at some 15,000 US schools get access to Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, while the staff gets tools from Adobe's Education Exchange, electronic signature software and presentation tech for distance learning. The company's total commitment weighs in at over $300 million, but it's not hard to see what it gets out of the deal. Looking past the potential for a hefty tax writeoff, the company said its plans are in line with the Common Core State Standards Initiative's emphasis on media production and criticism. In other words, Adobe wants to help foster creative skills in youngsters. Getting a new generation of media-savvy kids interested in its production tools is just icing on the cake.

It's no longer strange to see a TV series premiereonline before it reaches traditional broadcasters, but Starz is planning a truly special internet debut for its latest project, Black Sails. The first episode of the Michael Bay-produced pirate drama will be available for free through a wide range of online portals on January 18th, a week before it reaches conventional TV. Starz will both host the free show itself as well as offer it through Amazon, iTunes, Machinima's YouTube channel (a first for Starz) and Xbox Video. Charter, Comcast, Cox, Dish and Time Warner Cable will let you watch through their platforms, too. There's no guarantee that the digital screening will help Black Sails build an audience, but Starz has a second season in the pipeline -- the show is already off to a promising start.

Now that Eastbound & Down is over, the creative team behind that show is launching a new animated series on FX called Chozen. Microsoft has snagged an exclusive for the premiere episode, so owners of the Xbox One can load up their FXNow app January 6th and watch a week before it airs on TV. We don't expect the cable companies to be too upset though, since, like the Fox Sports Go NFL Playoffs streaming setup you'll need a subscription with participating TV providers to actually view the episode. AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cablevision, Suddenlink and WOW are all on the list, while everyone else will have to wait until the 13th when it comes on after a new episode of Archer.

This could be a sign of the growing relationship between Microsoft and traditional TV providers, or it could just be Fox snagging some extra promotion before its new show hits. The title character Chozen is a fresh-out-of-prison gay white rapper voiced by SNL's Bobby Moynihan, taking on the music industry, while other characters are voiced by the likes of Method Man, Hannibal Buress, Michael Peña, and Nick Swardson. Either way, we'll see how close the two sides are after Microsoft debuts its own original content later this year.

TiVo promised that the placeshifting TV capabilities recently added to its Roamio Plus and Pro DVRs would expand to its older hardware, and now they have. Updated TiVo owners with a Stream transcoder plugged into their Premiere or standard Roamio DVR can start streaming and downloading live or recorded TV from anywhere, so long as it's over WiFi. This functionality is rolling out starting today, and all users should have it within the next couple of weeks. If this pace keeps up, it shouldn't be too much longer before the devices and services that can't stream live TV anytime, anywhere, will be outnumberedbythosethatcan.

BBC's iPlayer is shaping up to be a workaholic's best friend for lazy weekends. This time, it's the fifth season of daytime drama Moving On that's hitting the service, which has also scored 30-day catch-up programming and exclusive content in recent months. While the network has previously experimented with pre-TV airing, it has focused on comedies like BBC Three's Jack Whitehall's Bad Education -- this marks the first time a drama will premiere on iPlayer. There's no word on when Moving On will debut online other than that it'll happen sometime this fall, and that all five standalone episodes will be available at once. According to the BBC, this is all part of a trial that explores "the role of online premiering," so we can likely expect more titles to follow suit in the future.

TiVo's Premiere Fall Updates are about to roll out, and according to Zatz Not Funny, it'll bring some joy to streaming video users. The biggest change for most Premiere 4 or XL4/Elite owners will be an updated Netflix app that should be less painful to use, along with HD wishlists, a dynamic tuner allocation and numerous bug fixes. A UI change that brings Roamio's new fonts and colors to Premiere devices is reportedly not in the cards until next year, however. The update will arrive in phases, as usual, but you can move closer to the front of the line by hitting TiVo's priority update request.

Update: We're told that two tuner models will also get the Fall Update, though dynamic tuner allocation may not be supported on those models if TiVo Mini extenders remain restricted.

It's pumpkin spice latte season, and that can only mean one thing: fall TV premieres are right around the corner. Thankfully, Hulu (like several other providers, if you have cable or satellite just take a look at your video on-demand menu) is once again letting you get the jump on your water cooler gossip by offering an early look at a few new and returning shows from ABC, NBC and Fox in advance of their television air dates. So, if you've been suffering from severe withdrawal from The Mindy Project (now with 100 more James Franco) or been intrigued by the overripe nostalgia of The Goldbergs, you're in luck. Also available on Hulu right now are new episodes of Back in the Game, Trophy Wife, Ironside and Welcome to the Family. To get into the spirit of premiere season, follow the source link below.

Premiere Pro has already been tearing through video with OpenCL on Macsfor a year, and now AMD and Adobe have teamed up to bring support for the open standard to Windows with the software's next version. Not only does the duo claim it's the first time Microsoft's OS has been graced with hardware-accelerated video editing using OpenCL, but they boast that exporting video replete with effects from a source to a final format can now be done up to 4.3 times faster. There's no word on when the fresh release of Premiere Pro will arrive, but if it's any consolation, Adobe says it's set to unveil some "incredible enhancements" to its video editing tools at NAB next week.

We knew AOL's On Network application would be hitting TiVo DVR boxes eventually, but, after nearly four months of being nowhere to be found, we were starting to wonder when exactly that would be. The good news is, as of today, TiVo Premiere owners can finally start enjoying on-demand content from AOL's hefty video catalogue on their set-top box -- which includes, but isn't limited to, vids from HuffPost Entertainment, TechCrunch, Moviefone and, you guessed it, Engadget. That's not it, though, as the AOL On app also brings in snippets from various outside entities, such as the BBC, Reuters, CNET, Entertainment Tonight and Gourmet TV. AOL On should be live now on your TiVo Premiere, so ready up that DVR if you're looking to dive into one (or more) of the 380,000-plus videos it has to offer.

We got an early peek at some of the newly revamped menus from TiVo's fall update a few days ago, and now the company has announced it is officially rolling out to retail Premiere DVRs, with cable-provided boxes getting the update at some point in the future. Those on the priority list are first up so some TiVo Community posters report they've already received it and can confirm the Netflix app is "still terrible." Besides the upgraded screens for Season Pass Manager, To Do List, History and My Shows (beyond the new look, they each have gained a few new features), Parental controls has replaced KidZone settings, there are some new games in the apps menu and users can name their DVR in the menus. Hit the source link to check out the full list of changes,

Other than what feels like a very slow pace of updates, one of our gripes with TiVo's Premiere DVR platform has been a relative lack of new apps being released. Hopefully that could change soon, now that the company has opened up its Developer Channel to allow interested parties access to its SDK and tools to build their own apps. Although as our friend Dave Zatz points out, it doesn't guarantee apps will be released even if certified, anyone ready to get down with TiVo's Adobe-based environment should take a peek around. The notes do reveal some interesting details like the fact that only one app can run at a time so when an app is launched the TiVo UI is suspended, and that apps are restricted to 720p resolution only, 32MB of system memory, 20MB graphics memory and 1MB hard drive space quota. We don't know yet what can be constructed with those tools, but go ahead -- surprise us.

Earlier this year Adobe announced Photoshop CS6 with a new user interface, and now Elements, its line of beginner-level products, is getting a facelift too. The company just introduced Photoshop and Premiere Elements 11, and while the two apps include a handful of new photo- and video-editing features, the bigger story is that they're designed to be less intimidating to newbies. Both have a more readable UI, for instance, as opposed to the old theme with the dark background and low-contrast icons. Things like preview thumbnails have been brought to the forefront so that they're easier to find. Also, both pieces of software ship with a re-tooled image organizer that puts commonly used functions front and center, with lesser-used features like keyword tagging hidden in the menus. The organizer also now has Google Maps integration, so you can view your shots on a map. You can also for the first time view by event, or by the names of people tagged in photos.

As for new features, Photoshop Elements is getting a series of new comic-inspired filters, including "Pen and Ink," "Graphic Novel" and, yes, "Comic." Photoshop Elements now allows European customers to upload photos to Cewe, while Premiere Elements supports Vimeo uploads. (Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Shutterfly and SmugMug sharing were already built in.) Amateur videographers will also enjoy a series of new Hollywood-inspired filters, including Red Noir, a "Sin City"-esque effect with red accents, and "Pandora," which is meant to evoke "Avatar." Finally, you can use Time Remapping and Reverse Time to speed up footage or slow it down, respectively.

Fans of the software will notice the pricing hasn't changed: the two apps cost $100 each, or $150 as a bundle. Folks who are upgrading will pay $80 a pop, or $120 for both. Look for both on Adobe's site today, with the old-fashioned boxed software hitting retailers soon.

TiVo owners who've wanted to record any more than two shows at a time or use more recent technology like MoCA have had to look towards the wallet-busting Premiere XL4, at least if they didn't happen to rely on a cable provider bundling the Premiere Q. Thankfully, TiVo has told Zatz Not Funny that a more affordable Premiere 4 option is on the way. The new DVR will still require QAM digital cable or FiOS TV for its tuners to sing, but its 500GB of space will likely lead to a significant price cut versus the 2TB-touting XL4 -- if also a whole lot of deleted old shows. MoCA, an eSATA port and a single CableCARD slot will carry over, so there's few other penalties in store for those who pass on the XL4 flagship. We don't have any official word on the launch strategy so far, although one loose-lipped rep has floated the rumor of a release within the next one to two months at $250 price tag. If true, the Premiere 4 will go a long way towards satisfying TV junkies who are more concerned about catching every show in a crowded prime time slot (and a lower cost) than digging through months-old archives.

Now that TiVo has delivered updated software for its Premiere boxes its focus is turning to some new hardware accessories, including the TiVoToGo-styletranscoder we saw at CES, now dubbed Stream (top), and the IP extender set-top box mentioned earlier this year (bottom). According to TiVo's press release, both boxes will be available at retail and via the various cable operators that are offering its DVRs to their customers, while availability will be announced "in the coming months". The Stream transcoder reformats live and recorded video from a Premiere DVR for viewing on mobile devices or tablets (including sideloading for offline viewing away from the home), and TiVo says it's the first to stream or download shows simultaneously to multiple devices like iPads or iPhones without interrupting what's being watched. The IP box on the other hand is all about multiroom, designed to pull in either live or recorded video from a Premiere Q plus cable VOD and internet content, similar to the existing Preview but without the CableCARD tuner. A press release follows after the break, while Zatz Not Funny has a few pics of them on the floor at this week's 2012 NCTA Cable Show.

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Mon, 21 May 2012 09:24:00 -040021|20241639http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/tivo-premiere-updates-coming-with-new-netflix-and-youtube-apps/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/tivo-premiere-updates-coming-with-new-netflix-and-youtube-apps/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/tivo-premiere-updates-coming-with-new-netflix-and-youtube-apps/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsWaiting for your TiVo to see the upgraded Netflix and YouTube streaming apps we got a peek at during CES a few months ago? How about the ability to access Comcast's video on-demand that we've been waiting for since last year? According to tweets by Vice President of user experience Margret Schmidt we may see all that and more soon, as she mentioned "expecting" the Spring Update with new video streaming apps and parental controls in HD menus to roll out to Premiere and Elite DVRs this month. As far as Comcast Xfinity On Demand, the rollout is targeted to begin in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an update for DVRs there this week before the feature is turned on later this month. This shaping up to be a very interesting year for the smiley faced DVR company with new hardware still waiting in the wings, add in all these new software capabilities and TiVo looks like a winner in more than just the legal battles.

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Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:11:00 -040021|20207131http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/07/tivo-premiere-elite-will-bring-quad-tuners-2tb-storage-to-retai/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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When TiVo announced its first quad tuner DVR, the Premiere Q, fans were devastated to learn it would only be available via cable operators, and that it featured a smallish 500GB hard drive. Fortunately, the company has rectified both of those issues by announcing the TiVo Premiere Elite, a quad tuner Series 4 DVR with 2TB of storage built that will be available through TiVo.com, Best Buy's Magnolia stores and authorized home theater installers. There's no word yet on price or an exact release date, as all of this is still pending a waiver from the FCC allowing TiVo to sell the box without any OTA or analog cable tuners, making this a digital cable (or Verizon FiOS) only experience. It's also THX Certified and most of the press release is dedicated to focusing on the high end nature of the hardware TiVo is unleashing. Also unmentioned so far is any retail edition of the TiVo Preview multiroom extender box, but we should get some hands-on time with this quad tuner edition very shortly during CEDIA 2011. For now, just check out the press release, included after the break, and for our European readers Engadget Spanish has you covered on the launch of the TiVo Premiere for ONO in Spain.

Update: The official TiVo.com/elite page is live, and reveals the price as $499 "with service", $499 additional for a lifetime subscription. [Thanks @PhilipSaad]
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Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:01:00 -040021|20036280http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/tivo-premiere-multiroom-streaming-already-enabled/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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We'd heard that the most recent software update for the TiVo Premiere set the stage for TiVo-to-TiVo streaming, and now multiple posters on the TiVo Community forum report it's already working. If you only have one Premiere in the house you may want to wait for the Premiere Q (or the Preview, if you don't need any additional tuners) but those already living the multiple box lifestyle can select shows as though they were going to be transferred and simply press play instead. Check the threads for details and let us know how if it works for you, if this is intentionally enabled an official announcement can't be too far off.

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Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:11:00 -040021|19976983http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/htc-evo-3d-on-sale-now-to-sprint-premiere-customers-200-on-a-t/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Settled on an EVO 3D, did you? If you just so happen to be a part of Sprint's Premier club, it looks as if your floodgates are wide open. A spate of tipsters (as well as our own Richard Lawler) have confirmed this evening that Sprint's latest whiz-bang superphone is indeed on sale to an elite few, with $199.99 netting you the handset along with a particularly daunting two-year ball / chain combination. $549.99 buys it outright, but there's no clear indication on if these are indeed shipping out in the morning. Either way, we're guessing it's going to be mighty hard to resist this fellow -- you know, Because life is in 3D.